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I. W. MCGAFFEY.

Strvaw Cutter. y

Noi 27,003. Patented Jany 31, 1860.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVES W. MCGAFFEY, OF BUFFALO, NE\V YORK.

STRAW-CUTTER.

Specification of Letters Patent No.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, Ivns W. MCGAFFEY, of the city of Buffalo and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Straw-Outters; and I do hereby decla-re that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Fig. I is a front end elevation. Fig. II is a longitudinal section; Fig. III, a front end elevation, the gate and cutters being removed in order show more clearly the spring flaps and corner piece. Fig. IV is a section on line 0*y, to show more fully the arrangement of the spring flaps relatively to the side board (A) and cutters The side boards forming the feed box are represented at (A) The legsor supporting frame are represented at B.

The posts which support the gate are represented at (E). These posts are made fast to the legs or main frame as shown at (e).

The gate which has a vertical up and down movement is represented by the cross pieces (D) and (P) and the upright (R, R). These parts are securely connected. The cross pieces being grooved across their ends so as to slide on a tongue formed on the posts E. The upright R slides on the edges of said tongue. The horizontal cutter (C) is made fast to this gate. H represents a spring which is also made fast to the gate at the center, shown at The ends of this spring are left free; and strike against the stationary pins (It), as the gate descends.

F, represents the operative lever which is connected to the gate by the hinge bolt (F).

Gr, representsV a fulcrum rod which has a jOint-like-connection to the post E, as shown at (g), and a joint-likeconnection to the lever (F,) as shown at g2.

I, I, are two cutters made fast to the end of the feed box (or main frame) and so placed as to bring the cutting edge parallel with the inclined surface of the side boards (A). Between these two cutters and near their lower ends is placed a triangular cutter (n) This triangular cutter is supported upon the corner piece (n). This corner piece corresponds to the angular form of the cutter and rises flush with the edge of the cutter.

At (J) is represented a spring flap, which 27,003, dated January 31, 1860.

is loosely connected to the side board (A) by means of the screws (m) in a manner so as to rise and fall by means of the spring 7c as required. The spring, lc, is placed on the side board and under the flap (J) so as to raise the side of the flap next to the cutter, as high, or even with the edge of the cutter (I) (as represented in Fig. IV,) so as to allow the straw or hay to be fed to the cutters and slide over the edge without striking or lodging against the cutters.

A throat or opening (o) is made in the corner piece (n) and below the triangular cutter (a), so as to allow the chaff or other matter to escape freely, and thereby prevent the cutters from choaking up or clogging.

b (IV) represents a cross piece on top of This machine is applicable to cutting hay, straw, cornstalks, and vegetables.

Operation: The straw, cornstalks,hay, or vegetablesto be cut is placed in the feed box formed of the side pieces (A). The lever F, is then grasped by the right hand of the operator and raised so as to bring the gate and cutter (O) to their highest positlon. The straw or hay is then moved along by the left hand until the ends butt afrainst the cross piece P, the straw or hay Sliding up the incline of the flaps (J) so that it will pass over the edge of knives (I). The gate is then caused to descend and thereby bring the cutter (O) into full action upon the hay or straw while the pressure of the straw upon the liaps will cause the springs to yield, and the flaps to depress, and thereby expose the cutters, I, so that they will have full power to cut upon the under side of the straw, while the cutter (O) cuts upon the upper side, thereby insuring the cutter, I, to do an equal amount of cutting as the cutter C. This result is due to the spring flaps (J). If the flaps were not used and the cutters (I) allowed to project above the inclined surfaces of the side boards the ends of the straw would strike against the cutters and thereby prevent the feeding process, and if the cutters are depressed to the level of the inclined surfaces of the side boards then these cutters could act only in a very small degree, but by the use of spring flaps the straw can be easily fed to the cutters and carried over the edge of the cutter (I) and thus when the cutting commences the pressure upon the flaps will cause them to depress and leave the cutter projecting so as to do their full share of cutting. The cutting C, spring flaps J, QI, triangular cutter n, and is therefore rendered more/easy and speedy. corner piecev n, substantially as described The interposition of the triangular cutter for-the purposes specified.

between the cutters I, also adds to and facily IVES W. MGGAFFEY. 5 tates the process of cutting. W'itnesses:

I e1ai1n- E. B. FORBUSH, The arrangement of the cutters I, I, and W. H. FORBUSH. 

